Sir Ian McKellen has opened up about the harrowing injuries he sustained following a terrifying tumble on stage during a West End show two weeks ago.
The esteemed 85 year old actor took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, this Tuesday to update his followers after previously announcing his withdrawal from the national tour of Player Kings just one day prior. The incident, which saw him fall “head first” at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, left the audience in shock.
The Lord of the Rings icon, famed for his portrayal of Gandalf, thankfully reports that he is recovering, albeit with some injuries.
Detailing the frightful stage mishap where he was heard screaming in pain, Sir Ian reassured his concerned fans on X: “Just two weeks after my accident onstage I want to assure my many well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are on the mend. My doctors promise a complete recovery – but only if I avoid work over the next few weeks.”
Following the alarming event, Sir Ian was immediately taken to hospital for urgent care, leading to the cancellation of his shows for the remainder of that week to facilitate his recuperation. Despite his eagerness to return, the cinematic legend acknowledges, with “the greatest reluctance” the necessity of heeding medical advice to “protect my recovery” and step back from the national tour.
Sir Ian has this week confirmed his ongoing recovery from a stage accident, stating: “Two weeks after my accident onstage, my injuries improve day by day. It’s with the greatest reluctance that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime.”
“I had been so looking forward to bringing Player Kings to theatre-goers in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle. But I can assure them that, with David Semark now playing Falstaff, Robert Icke’s production and his acting company remain as dazzling as ever. Go see for yourself.”
In an official update, the production team announced: “Following Ian McKellen’s injury during the West End run of Player Kings, his doctors’ advice is to take time off from work in order to fully recover. As such, he will not be returning to play Sir John Falstaff in the national tour of Players Kings (3-27 July 2024). Ian continues to recuperate very well, but he needs the time to rest and ensure a complete recovery. We continue to send him our best wishes.”
They added, “As it was for the final West End performances, the role of Falstaff will now be performed by David Semark, Ian’s brilliant understudy, for all tour dates of Player Kings.”
Fans worldwide were left worried following McKellen’s unfortunate tumble on stage last month.
Dramatic scenes unfolded in London’s West End as the legendary actor “flew head first” into an audience member after losing his footing on stage. Performing as John Falstaff in a Shakespeare play, the respected thespian suffered an unfortunate fall during a fight scene.
The harrowing incident was recounted by one theatregoer who bore the brunt of Sir Ian’s untimely tumble. Johanna, a 30 year old from Leatherhead, Surrey, shared her shocking experience with the BBC: “Getting crushed by Gandalf the Grey, that’s something you don’t expect.”
She provided an account of how the actor appeared to trip over part of the set, resulting in him plummeting toward her, striking her knee “quite hard”.
Johanna related: “As he tripped on that he built up momentum and flew head first into me in the audience.”
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